Julia Roberts' Favorite Books Are Chock Full Of Modern Classics

When we think of Julia Roberts, the first things that tend to come to mind are her iconic roles in films like "Pretty Woman" and "Erin Brockovich." Roberts has made a name for herself playing determined, strong women with girl-next-door looks and charm, making her one of the most beloved actresses of her generation. But the Academy Award-winning actress is so much more than a force on the screen, she's a ferocious reader, too.

"I believe in the power of timing," Roberts told O Magazine. "Certain books have come into my life in such a way that I can't help but think, 'This is the perfect time for me to be reading this.'" Roberts went on to tell the story of an entire day she spent in a beanbag chair reading "Crazy Woman" by Kate Horsley. "That was a great luxury — to actually sit down with a whole day free, start a book, and like it enough to just barrel right through. I got up once, I think, to get a cup of coffee," said Roberts.

Julia Roberts is a modern classic in her own right and coincidentally, so are some of her favorite books. If you're looking to expand your knowledge of some of the most important pieces of modern literature, Roberts' list of favorites is a good place to start. When you're done with these epic tragedies, though, you can lighten things up with Carrie Fisher's favorite books. 

As one of the greatest American novelists, William Faulkner won several major awards for his work, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949. So it's no surprise that Roberts, a lover of classics, would be drawn to Faulkner. "This would have to be my favorite classic novel," Roberts told O Magazine of Faulkner's 1939 book, "The Wild Palms." "It's such a beautiful, tragic love story — a book that will just destroy you."

The plot of "The Wild Palms" revolves around two separate stories that mirror each other in unique ways. There's love, betrayal, pregnancy, abortion, heartbreak, and a critique of the criminal justice system all set against the backdrop of the South in the 1920s and 1930s. Faulkner's stunning prose is also at play, breathing life into every sentence. 

"Faulkner's language is so utterly descriptive," said Roberts. "He can write an entire page that consists of only adjectives and two commas. Actually, he's the reason I ended up passing high school English, because my punctuation was always kind of...eccentric. I would say to my teacher, 'Well, you know, William Faulkner — he doesn't use proper punctuation.' And one of my teachers ended up devising a system with two grades, where you were graded on content and then on whether it was properly written."

Like William Faulkner, Carson McCullers is another renowned Southern writer. Her debut novel, "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter," takes place in Roberts' home state of Georgia. So, naturally, Roberts would be drawn to this book.

In her interview with O Magazine, Roberts said the novel is "one of the most amazing books I ever read." The plot focuses on a deaf man named John Singer — who has recently lost his best friend to an insane asylum — and the band of misfits that surround in him in a small Georgia town, following their ups and downs, their struggles and dreams.

"McCullers was southern, and I'm southern," said Roberts. "I wonder how much a non-southern person can appreciate some of the nuances that I consider very specific to that part of the country. In the subtlest, most unconscious ways, I'm able to get her description of, I don't know, humidity in a way that somebody who lives near the Great Lakes will never really know."

Willa Cather is another writer who is the pure embodiment of American literature. Although Cather's most popular books are "O Pioneers!" and "My Ántonia," it's her novel "Death Comes for the Archbishop" that has a special place in Roberts' heart. "When I was in Indonesia, everything was so foreign to me — exciting and beautiful but overwhelming," Roberts told O Magazine. "I had brought along Willa Cather's 'Death Comes for the Archbishop.' Reading such an American story made me feel comforted."

Like many of Cather's books, this one takes place in the Southwestern United States, specifically New Mexico. Although the plot involves two real historical figures — Catholic clergymen Jean-Baptiste Lamy and Joseph Projectus Machebeuf — Cather takes a bit of poetic license in her retelling of their lives, their quest to build a diocese, and the challenges that come their way. While the religious angle might be a turn-off for some, Cather's writing more than makes up for it. She could write an entire novel about a blank piece of paper and every page would be equally gripping and beautiful.

While Thomas Hardy's novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" is one of his most famous works, Hardy was also a proficient writer of short stories. One of those stories, "An Imaginative Woman," is a favorite of Roberts', who was quick to point out the range of work Hardy produced to O Magazine.

"I love Thomas Hardy," Roberts said. "I don't think a lot of people know that he was also a great poet and a writer of short stories because he produced so many novels. One of my favorite short stories — and I'm not a big short story fan — is 'An Imaginative Woman.' It's tragic... when you've invested so much time and your fingers have pushed through all that paper and you get to the end... well, a tragic ending kind of goes with the tragedy of finishing a book."

Actually, "tragic" might be an understatement for the story of Ella Marchmill, who becomes obsessed with a poet in what we'd today call a parasocial relationship. It's this obsession that eventually leads to tragic consequences for Ella (who's also a poet but uses a male pseudonym) and destroys her family.

If you think you've seen "The Red Tent" on one of these lists before, you're absolutely right. It's also one of Brie Larson's favorite books, a story that "completely devastated" her and made her realize "pain is necessary," she told Far Out. So yes, we're in for another tragedy.

"This book was a gift," Roberts told O Magazine. "And when I first started reading it, I thought, 'This is what happens when someone who doesn't know you very well gives you a book.' After the first two pages, I thought, 'This is a little, um, different, taking place more than a thousand years ago and all.' And then I was hooked."

Written by American author Anita Diamant, "The Red Tent" chronicles the untold story of Dinah, a minor figure in the Book of Genesis. Diamant's version of her story is very much focused on what it was like to be a woman during Biblical times, which was difficult to say the least. "It was riveting — the wives of Jacob, telling biblical stories from their perspective," said Roberts. "This isn't my standard pick, and I don't know if everybody would embrace it, but it's just wonderful."